[lbo-talk] FW: Black History Month Opening Ceremonies

Wojtek Sokolowski sokol at jhu.edu
Tue Jan 31 07:54:01 PST 2006



> For further information, check out our website for the month
> http://www.jhu.edu/bsu/BlackHistoryMonthWeb/bhm.html. Help us
> to accentuate awareness of the rich diversity in the history,
> background, and culture within the Black community by
> supporting the Black History Month of 2006.
>
> Sincerely,
> The BHM Committee, 2006
>
>

I just received the above invitation to Black History Month events at JHU over the campus email distribution list - which contains the usual mix of MLK, gospel, poetry reading and an obligatory local politico - and could not help but notice names that are absent from the celebrations - Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, Julius Nyerere, Jomo Kenyatta, Patrice Lumumba, Nelson Mandela, or even Heile Selassie. I do not mean to belittle MLK, but these are great Black leaders who do not have Rev. in front of their names, and whose politics not only made a world impact but were very progressive and forward thinking - even Heile Selassie, who kicked Mussolini's ass and made a great speech at the League of Nations commemorated to this day in murals in Addis Ababa.

If we had, say, a Jewish or a Polish History Month, or an American History Month among US expats in Europe - the national heroes or founders of the respective nation-states would feature quite promiently in the celeberations. Why not celebrating great African leaders in the Black History Month?

Wojtek



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